2019: Buhari tasks Tinubu to reconcile aggrieved APC members

As 2019 elections draw closer, President Muhammadu Buhari has asked former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to embark on the mission of reconciling aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to a statement by Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, the move is part of “on-going efforts to improve cohesion” within the the ruling party.

He said the president designated Tinubu to “lead consultation, reconciliation and confidence building efforts”

Shehu said: “As part of on-going efforts to improve cohesion within the All Progressives Congress, President Muhammadu Buhari has designated Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead the consultation, reconciliation and confidence building efforts.

“The assignment will involve resolving disagreements among party members, party leadership and political office holders in some states of the Federation”

This moves comes after strong statements asking Buhari to forget re-election in 2019 came from two former Heads of State, General Ibrahim Babangida and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

While Obasanjo advised Buhari not to contest the 2019 presidential election, Babangida asked Nigerians not to vote for Buhari but go for a new generation of leaders.

Even within the APC, some think the country needs a new direction from 2019.

Prominent among the states where there are disagreements among APC leaders and political office holders are Kano, Oyo, Rivers, Kogi, Kaduna, Zamfara and Osun States among others.

In Kano, there is a disagreement between the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, and his predecessor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Ganduje was deputy to Kwankwaso who is now a Senator.

In Rivers State, there is also a disagreement between the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and Senator Magnus Abe.

In Osun State, the governor, Rauf Aregbesola and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun, are also not in good terms.

Lasun is aspiring to become the state governor after Aregbesola whose tenure expires this year.

In Kaduna State, there is crisis between the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai and Senator Shehu Sani.

A similar scenario is playing out in Zamfara between the state governor, Abdulaziz Yari, and Senator Kabir Marafa.

Also in Kogi State, the state governor, Yahaya Bello, is at loggerheads with Senator Dino Melaye.

In Oyo State, there is a friction between the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, and the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu.

Shittu who is nursing a governorship ambition had petitioned the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; and Tinubu, over what he described as the “unbecoming conduct” of the Governor.